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Many baseball fans first became acquainted with Courtney Hawkins on June 4, 2012, the night the White Sox made him the 13th pick in the draft. He put on a show for viewers by effortlessly completing a backflip in a suit, tie, and dress shoes — though scouts had long been enthralled by Hawkins' impressive athleticism and raw tools.

There were many more well-known players that ranked higher on prospects lists at the South Atlantic League All-Star Game that Marlins reliever Kevin Cravey. But no player selected for the game in Charleston, S.C., has had a more fascinating journey to reach the Mid-Summer classic.

Mets righthander Zack Wheeler has taken a step forward at Double-A this season, earning his second trip to the Futures Game. "He's got that late, explosive fastball you don't see often. He's got a chance to be an elite pitcher," Wheeler's pitching coach said.

The career paths of Houston Astros minor leaguers Delino DeShields Jr. and Mike Foltynewicz have been strikingly similar. The 2010 first-round picks out of high school were both highly coveted by the Astros as DeShields (No. 8) received a then-franchise record $2.12 million signing bonus, while Foltynewicz (No. 19) received $1.3 million, the second-highest bonus ever for an Astros pitching draftee.

After a promising start to the season in which he hit the first pitch he saw for a home run, Orioles shortstop Manny Machado has not been the offense force many expected at Double-A Bowie. The coaching staff has identified obvious areas for improvement.

Many questions surrounded Matt Szczur when the Cubs selected the young outfielder in the fifth round of the 2010 draft: Could he put his speed to use as an effective outfielder? Would his ability to make consistent contact at the plate in college carry over into pro ball? Everyone knew Szczur was a premium athlete after coming out of Villanova as a two-sport star. Two years later, he has answered a lot of the questions, leaving no doubt that Szczur is a lot closer to reaching his impressive ceiling.

After leading all of minor league baseball in strikeouts last season, Rockies lefthander Edwar Cabrera isn't worrying about increasing his whiffs. Instead, the 24-year-old Cabrera is working on developing his curveball and lowering his home run total with Double-A Tulsa.

Could these pitchers be relief aces in the making? The reality for many minor league pitchers—even starters—is that they'll make most of their big league appearances in relief. Teams always need fresh arms for the ever-expanding major league bullpen.

It usually starts with a chuckle. Scouts, coaches and managers generally love to talk baseball—after all, they spend their lives working in the game. And there's nothing they like talking about more than the unexpected. When Reds high Class A Bakersfield shortstop Billy Hamilton is on the field, a lot of unexpected things happen.